Delta Community Cruiser national tour logs nearly 3,000 volunteer hours in just 74 days

August 11, 2010 - St. John's, NL

At the end of this week, Delta Hotels and Resorts’ Community Cruiser will cross the finish line of its national tour, a journey that saw employees donate more than 2, 597 volunteer hours to support community charities from coast to coast.

The Delta Community Cruiser kicked off its journey in a 2010 Toyota Prius, on June 1st in Victoria, B.C., and stopped in 34 different communities in all 10 provinces, before making its final stop in St. John’s, N.L. on August 13th. This 12,000 kilometre adventure saw Delta employees volunteer their time for a wide range of local charities throughout the 74 days.

The tour was one part of Delta’s wider goal to raise $1 million and donate 10,000 volunteer hours to community charities during 2010.

Delta National Ambassador Suzanne Lalonde explains that the journey has shown her how easy it is to make a difference, just by getting involved in your community.

“I’ve seen first-hand the impact that volunteering can make, even if it’s just a small gesture,” said Lalonde. “We all need to take the time to do simple things within our communities – like donating to a food bank, helping on a Habitat for Humanity build site or giving blood. You really can make a difference with such a simple gesture.”

The Delta Community Cruiser Tour was a key component of Delta Helps, a program rolled out in 2009 across all 45 Delta properties in Canada to demonstrate the company’s commitment to building stronger communities. The initiative has already raised over $571,000 and donated 8,000 volunteer hours since the beginning of this year for a wide range of community groups and charitable organizations.

“The purpose of this tour was to show Canadians how easy it is to make an impact on your local community, just by getting involved and lending a hand to those in need,” said Hank Stackhouse, President and CEO, Delta Hotels and Resorts. “Thousands of Delta employees pulled together throughout this tour to help their neighbours and to make a difference right in their own backyards.”

The 2010 Toyota Prius is the official car of the Delta Community Cruiser Tour, demonstrating Delta’s ongoing commitment to the environment.

"To date, the Prius has used 550 fewer litres of gasoline versus what an average mid-size vehicle would have used for the same trip, resulting in a 48 per cent reduction in GHG emissions. This demonstrates why the hybrid technology of the Prius is the cornerstone of our sustainability mobility strategy and why Canadians have made Prius the most popular hybrid vehicle in the country," said Stephen Beatty, Managing Director for Toyota Canada Inc. “The Delta Community Cruiser journey across Canada has clearly shown the value and fuel efficiency of the 2010 Toyota Prius with the vehicle using only 591 litres of fuel at a total cost of $568 so far.”

A leading Canadian hotel management company, Delta Hotels and Resorts operates and franchises a diversified portfolio with 45 full-service, city centre and airport hotels and resorts under the Delta brand. Widely regarded as Canada’s “brand of choice” by guests and owners, Delta also distinguishes itself as an exemplary employer. It is the only hotel company to have been recognized for its sustained focus on business excellence by the prestigious National Quality Institute with three Canada Awards for Excellence, including the award program’s highest honour, the Order of Excellence (2007). The company also consistently ranks as one of the country’s best employers in The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business annual “50 Best Employers” list (2001–2003, 2005–2010). As well, its Corporate Social Responsibility platform, Delta Helps, includes a chain-wide commitment to the communities it serves through a national partnership with Habitat for Humanity Canada, participation in the Hotel Association of Canada’s Green Key Eco-Rating program, and work with various other charitable groups.

Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Toyota and Lexus cars, SUVs and trucks, and Toyota Industrial Equipment. TCI’s head office is in Toronto, with regional offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Halifax and parts distribution centres in Toronto and Vancouver. For more information, please visit media.toyota.ca.

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